Pressure regulating valve in particular proportional pressure regulating valve

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a pressure regulating valve, in particular a proportional pressure regulating valve. Said valve comprises a valve body ( 1 ) including at least a pump connection (P), a use connection (A) and a tank connection (T). A piston ( 19 ) capable of being displaced by a controllable actuating device ( 29 ), is guided in the valve body ( 1 ). At the periphery of said piston is formed a recess ( 45 ) which defines a peripheral annular gap ( 47 ) delimited by the ramps ( 49, 51 ) of the piston ( 19 ). In the piston ( 19 ) is provided a passage ( 55 ) for fluid communication between the front surface of the piston ( 19 ), subjected to the use connection (A) pressure, and the rear surface ( 35 ) of the piston ( 19 ), adjacent to a pressure chamber ( 37 ) located behind. The invention is characterized in that the passage ( 55 ) of the piston ( 19 ) comprises, in the region proximate to the piston front surface, a restriction zone ( 57 ) and, in a region away from said restriction zone ( 57 ) towards the rear of the piston surface ( 35 ), an orifice ( 59 ) facing the peripheral annular gap ( 47 ), said orifice ( 59 ) having a second restriction zone ( 61 ).

[0001] The invention relates to a pressure regulating valve, in particular a proportional pressure regulating valve, having a valve housing with at least one pump, one application, and one tank connection, having a valve piston displaceable by a controllable actuating device in the valve housing, with a recess in its circumference which defines a circumferential annular space delimited by control edges of the piston, and having a passage formed in the piston for establishment of a fluid connection between the front side of the piston to which the pressure of the appliance connection is applied and the rear side of the piston adjacent to a pressure chamber on the rear side of the piston.

[0002] Valves of this type are usually available through commercial channels. In that the predominant control pressure applied to the appliance connection acts on both sides of the valve piston in such directly controlled pressure limiting valves by means of the associated actuating device, and the control pressure accordingly does not exert its effect on the valve piston, the advantage is obtained that the same valve piston diameter may be used for different pressure stages involved. In other words, even at higher pressure stages no especially small valve piston diameter need be chosen in order to keep the piston forces which occur within limits, so that such valves with valve pistons of sufficiently large diameter may be designed for relatively high rated volume flows.

[0003] Although high piston forces are not applied to the actuating system in a valve of this design, the flow forces occurring during operation on the control edges of the valve piston are transmitted undiminished to the actuating system. This has as a disadvantage the consequence that the operating characteristic of the valve has a relatively sharply rising curve in the pressure restriction function and a sharply dropping curve in the pressure reduction function. This falling characteristic occurs in particular in the case of pump pressures which are very high in comparison to the control pressure, since the sharp drop in pressure causes especially high flow forces, ones which strive to reduce the opening stroke of the piston, to be applied to the respective control edge of the valve piston.

[0004] On the basis of this state of the art the object of the invention is to create a pressure regulating valve characterized by behavior in operation improved in comparison to that specified in the state of the art.

[0005] It is claimed for the invention that this object is attained in the case of a pressure regulating valve of the type specified in the foregoing in that the passage of the piston has a flow restriction point in the area adjacent to the front side of the piston and a passage leading to the circumferential annular space in an area shifted from the flow restriction point toward the rear side of the piston and in that this passage has a second flow restriction point.

[0006] This combination as claimed for the invention of two flow restriction points associated with the passage of the valve piston makes it possible to change the prevailing pressure on the rear side of the piston so that a force is applied to the piston which always acts against the flow forces occurring on the control edges during operation and thus acts as an auxiliary stroke in both the pressure restriction function and the pressure reduction function. As a result, the operating characteristic of the valve may be optimized as desired by suitable dimensioning of the passage cross-section of the flow restriction point.

[0007] The dynamic operating behavior of the valve may also be affected as desired in that the passage of the valve piston has a third flow restriction point in the area between the passage leading to the annular space and the opening in the rear side of the piston. As a result of configuration of this flow restriction point in the form, for example, of a screw-in orifice introduced into the passage of the piston from the rear side of the piston, damping action for suppression of vibrations may be effected in conjunction with the pressure chamber adjoining the rear side of the piston.

[0008] The invention is described in detail in what follows with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawing, in which

[0009]FIG. 1 presents a longitudinal section of the pressure regulating valve configured as a screw-in valve and

[0010]FIG. 2 a longitudinal section of the valve piston of the exemplary embodiment drawn on a somewhat larger scale.

[0011] The pressure regulating valve shown in the drawing and to be described in what follows is represented by a so-called screw-in valve the sleeve-like valve housing 1 of which has external threading 3 so that it may be screwed into a valve recess not shown. Annular sealing elements 5, 7, and 9, which are seated on the valve housing 1 on the outer circumference side, are provided for sealing to prevent entry of fluid into the valve recess. In the circumferential area of the valve housing 1 situated between sealing elements 5 and 7, which area is sealed by the sealing elements 5 and 7 to prevent entry of fluid into the remaining circumferential area of the valve housing 1, the sleeve-like valve housing 1 has wall openings 11 which communicate with tank connection T of the associated fluid system when the valve housing 1 has been screwed into the valve recess. In the circumferential area situated between the sealing elements 7 and 9 the valve housing also has wall openings 13 which are correspondingly connected to the pump connection P of the fluid system. At its free end the sleeve-like valve housing 1 is open, the sleeve opening 15 is in turn connected by way of the valve recess to the pressure conducting appliance connection A of the system.

[0012] The valve housing 1 forms in its interior a cylindrical tube 17 in which a valve piston 19 acting as sleeve valve is axially displaceable. The valve piston 19 is shown separately in FIG. 2 on a scale larger than that of FIG. 1 in order to illustrate the structure of this valve piston.

[0013] There is mounted on the sleeve opening 15 associated with the appliance connection A a support ring 21 which provides support for a helical pressure spring 23 which on the other side rests on a shoulder 25 (FIG. 2) in an interior cavity 27 of the valve piston 19. The spring 23 generates a resetting force which tries to displace the piston 19 against the magnetic force of a magnet system 29 directly controlling the pressure regulating valve.

[0014] The armature 31 of the magnet system 29 exerts a mechanical effect on the rear side of the valve piston 19 by way of a pin element 33 serving as auxiliary piston (described in greater detail below).

[0015] The rear side 35 of the piston adjoins a pressure chamber 37 the rear side which in turn is adjacent to a bushing 39 rigidly connected to the cylindrical tube 17 and serving as guide for the pin element 33. The end of the pin element 33 facing away from the pressure chamber 37 extends into another pressure chamber 41 immediately adjacent to the magnet system 29, which pressure chamber 41 which by way of a connecting channel 43 conducts the pressure of the tank connection T, which is adjacent to the wall openings 11 of the valve housing 1.

[0016] As is shown the most clearly in FIG. 2, the valve piston 19 has a necked-down circumferential section 45 which, together with the wall of the cylindrical tube 17 of the valve housing defines an annular space 47 the axial extent of which is delimited by control edges 49 and 51. During operation of the pressure regulating valve the control edge 49 operates in conjunction with the wall openings 11 of the valve housing 1 associated with the tank connection T. The control edge 51 in turn operates during execution of the pressure reduction function in conjunction with wall openings 13 conducting the pump pressure and associated with the pump connection P. Passage openings 53 made in the necked-down circumferential area 45 of the valve piston 19 establish the fluid connection between the inner cavity 27 of the valve piston 19 conducting the control pressure of the appliance connection A and the annular space 47.

[0017] A passage 55 extending through the valve piston 19 establishes a fluid connection between the inner cavity 27 and the rear-side pressure chamber 37 situated on the rear side of the piston 35, so that in the stationary situation control pressure from the appliance connection A is applied on both sides of the valve piston 19, and accordingly no piston displacement force dependent on the control pressure acts on the control piston 19. The force determining the level of the pressure stage, applying a load to the magnet system 29, and depending on the control pressure is generated by the pin element 33 serving as auxiliary piston which is independent of control pressure at the pressure chamber 37 and to which the pressure of the tank connection T is applied at the opposite end in pressure chamber 41. The force applied to the magnet system 29 accordingly depends on the effective piston surface of the pin element 33, but not on the effective piston diameter of the valve piston 19.

[0018] As is shown the most clearly in FIG. 2, the passage 55 extending axially in the valve piston 19 has specific features which exert a significant effect on the operating characteristic of the pressure regulating valve. As is clearly to be seen from FIG. 2, a flow restriction point 57 is formed at the orifice of the passage 55 into the inner cavity 27 of the piston 19; in the exemplary embodiment illustrated this flow restriction point is represented by a cross-sectional narrowing of the passage 55. In the area of the passage 55 axially displaced toward the rear side 35 of the piston the passage has a passage 59 branching off from it and extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis 58. This passage 59 leads to the annular space 47 on the necked-down circumferential area 45 of the piston 19. This passage 59 forms a second flow restriction point 61. In the example illustrated the two flow restriction points 57 and 61 are formed by suitably reduced bore diameters, but it is of course also possible for the flow restriction points 57, 61 to be formed by orifice inserts or the like.

[0019] During operation the flow restriction points 57, 61 affecting the flow of fluid in the passages 55 bring about, when combined, modification of the pressure prevailing on the rear side 35 of the piston in the pressure chamber 37, as a function of the respective pressure drop which occurs on the control edge 51 during operation of the valve and on the control edge 49 when the pressure restriction function is performed. The respective sharp pressure drop causes very high flow forces to be applied to the valve piston 19, forces which act against the respective operating stroke required of the piston 19. The fluid flow moving by way of the two intercommunicating flow restriction points 57, 61 results in dynamic operation in modification of the pressure prevailing on the rear side 35 of the piston in the pressure chamber 37. As a result of suitable dimensioning of the flow restricting action of the flow restriction points 57 and 61, the operating characteristic of the valve may be optimized so that the respective modified pressure on the rear side 35 of the piston generates an auxiliary stroke which works against the flow forces acting on the piston 19 in the pressure reduction function and the pressure restriction function respectively.

[0020] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated a third flow restriction point is provided in the passage 55 of the piston 19 in the area between the passage 59 and the edge of the mouth on the rear side 35 of the piston. In the example illustrated this flow restriction point is represented by a screw-in orifice 65. In conjunction with pressure chamber 37 present on the rear side 35 of the piston a damping effect may be produced by suitable dimensioning of the throttle action. The valve dynamics may consequently be effectively modified through variation of the flow restriction action of the screw-in orifice 65. 

1. A pressure regulating valve, in particular a proportional pressure regulating valve in particular, having a valve housing (1) with at least one pump (p), appliance (a), and tank (t) connection, having a valve piston (19) mounted in the valve housing (1) so as to be displaceable, with a recess made in the circumference (45) which defines a circumferential annular space (47) delimited by control edges (49, 51) of the piston (19), and having a passage (55) made in the piston (19) for formation of a fluid connection between the front side of the piston (19) to which the pressure of the appliance connection (a) is applied and a rear side (35) of the piston (19) adjoining a pressure chamber (37) on the rear side, characterized in that the passage (55) in the piston (19) has, in the area adjoining the front side of the piston a flow restriction point (57) and in an area displaced from the flow restriction point (57) toward the rear side (35) of the piston, a passage (59) leading to the circumferential annular space (47) and in that this passage (59) has a second flow restriction point (61).
 2. The pressure regulating valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuating device (29) has a magnetic armature (31) and wherein the valve piston (19) may be displaced against a resetting force (23) by the force of the magnet.
 3. The pressure regulating valve as claimed in claim 2, wherein the magnetic armature (31) is connected mechanically to the valve piston (19) by way of an auxiliary piston (33) which is axially movable in the valve housing (1) and to which there is applied on its side facing the valve piston (19) the pressure of the pressure chamber (37) and on its opposite piston side the pressure of the tank connection T.
 4. The pressure regulating valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the passage (55) in the valve piston (19) has, in the area between the passage (59) leading to the annular space (47) and the opening on the rear side (35) of the piston, a third flow restriction point (65).
 5. The pressure regulating valve as claimed in claim 4, wherein the third flow restriction point is in the form of an orifice (65) screwed into the piston (19) from the rear side (35) of the piston.
 6. The pressure regulating valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dimensions of the first (57) and second (61) flow restriction points relevant for passage of fluid are in both cases selected with a view toward optimization of the operating characteristic.
 7. The pressure regulating valve as claimed in claim 4, wherein the dimensions of the third flow restriction point (65) relevant for passage of fluid are selected with a view toward generation of a damping effect applied to the rear side (35) of the piston in conjunction with the pressure chamber (37).
 8. The pressure regulating valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein such pressure regulating valve is in the form of a screw-in valve and has an external threading (3) for screwing into a recess in the valve.
 9. The pressure regulating valve as claimed in claim 8, wherein the valve housing (1) configured as a screw-in cartridge has wall openings (11 and/or 13) axially displaced relative to each other and operating in conjunction with the control edges (49, 51) of the piston (19), wall openings which operate in conjunction with the connections conducting the pump pressure and/or the tank pressure of the valve recess.
 10. The pressure regulating valve as claimed in claim 9, wherein the appliance connection (A) of the valve housing (1) is provided on the open end of the screw-in cartridge and communicates with an inner cavity (27) formed in the valve piston (19), which cavity communicates with the circumferential annular space (47) by way of the passage openings (53).
 11. The pressure regulating valve as claimed in claim 3, wherein a pressure spring (23) resting on one side on the open end of the valve housing (1) and on the other side on the piston (19) is provided in the inner cavity (27) of such piston for production of the resetting force. 